So it’s come to this

First, I was on crutches. Then, a friend asked if I’d like to borrow her knee scooter. Sweet armpit relief! Plus, the scooter meant having a hand free to carry stuff rather than relying on family members to take my mug to my desk or my food to the table. Forget about carrying a laundry basket! (I actually enjoy doing laundry. Don’t judge.)

This knee scooter has the added benefit of motivating my son to go to bed if I promise him a ride to his room.

The downside to the scooter is it eventually began hurting my knee, despite the extra padding Hubby added. I also made the realization too late that I needed to take better care of my one working foot. It wasn’t until I posted this on Twitter:

A kind-hearted soul replied: “You need to be wearing more supportive footwear than that on your functional foot. Your good foot takes a lot of extra punishment and you want to take care of the one foot that’s doing all the work!”

And here I’d been occasionally hopping, because sometimes it was just easier, barefoot on our tile floor. No wonder my good foot hurt.

I’ve since instituted a constant as-cushy-as-I-have shoe routine despite our usual “no shoes in the house” rule. It’s helping, I think.

Last weekend, I attempted grocery shopping with Hubby for the first time in two months. To the first store, I took the scooter, and my knee suffered. To the second, I opted for the crutches, and my stepping foot was not happy to the point where I chucked my crutches in the cart and attempted to ride on the end like a six-year-old.

Turns out out, this was not an improvement.

When I returned home, I did this:

Note that my injured foot is feeling fine in comparison. Also, check me out! Actual ice packs instead of frozen vegetables!

Which is how we’ve come to this:

Ironically, this borrowed wheelchair has no foot rests, but keeping my legs up is good exercise, and maybe my arms will get a little stronger.

What cracks me up are the stickers on the side of this thing. Aren’t they so me? 😉

And then, apparently just for fun:

Hubby thinks I ought to add a Jiu-Jitsu sticker to it also, like a piece of flair from each of its former occupants.

I thought maneuvering the knee scooter, especially in the narrow hallway, was tricky. Three-point turn? More like seven. Gracefully using the wheelchair is something else. Changing direction while backing up and not running into something is no joke. I’m not even good at that with my car! (I kid. Mostly.)

Baseboards throughout the house bear scuff marks and scratches. I will not be joining a wheelchair basketball team any time soon.

Instead I’m slowly pinballing my way through the house. Bonk. Wheel wheel. Bonk. I have determined we have too many couches. And chairs. And tables. And walls. (I kid. Mostly.)

But this is a new challenge I’m learning to overcome, a new skill to acquire. I’ll be popping wheelies in no time.

Though I should probably wear a helmet.

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